of springfield



G. E. WEAVER Aug. 9, 1927.

TRUCK JACK Filed Sept. 8, 1925 @gw Q MQ,

Patented Aung.J 9, 1927,

burra!) stars ferner ermee.

GALARD Isl. WEAVER, F SPRNG-FLEIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T WEAVER MAN'UW FAGT'URING COMPANY, 0F SPRNGFIELD, ILLINOS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINUIS.

TRUCK JACK.

Application filed September El, 1925. Serial No. 54,855.

The main or leading object of the present invention isthe production of a liftingjaelr, preferably of the truck style, in which the seat or saddle which carries the load may be caused to descend to an unusually low position and may be raised or elevated to a comparatively great height, whereby the structure is well adapted for use in connecH tion with vehicles fitted with balloon tires of relatively large cross-section.

An added purpose of the invention is the provision of an appliance having the structural and `functional characteristics noted which is. composed of relatively few mei' chanical elements, which is effective in action, which can be manufactured'at comparatively low cost, and which is not likely to become injured or damaged in ordinary service.

A further aim of the invention is to sup* ply a jack of this character in which the load-engaging element may be easily and quickly preliminarily raised to assume the load, preferably by merely pressing on a part of the appliance with the foot, after which the load may be lifted by the cooperating elements provided for that purpose to secure an effective mechanical advantage.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and throughout the several views of which like reference numerals have been used todenote the same parts, this drawing4 illust-rating` a present preferred embodiment of the invention, the latter, how ever, being susceptible of several 'other embodiments.

In such drawing 4o Figure 1 is a side elevation of the new triiclr-jacl with its load-elevating saddle in lowered position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section illus trating the parts with such saddle in raised position and showing spring 64E partially omitted for elearness of illustration of other elements; and

Figure 3 is a plan View of the structure with certain elements cut away to more clearly show the details of construction.

Referring to these drawings, it will be perceived that the new and improved truckd jack includes a main, horizontal frame composed et twe, rearwardlyidiverging,

`bars 11 and 12 connected together at their front ends by a cross-bar 13 and similarly joined together, about their mid-length, by another cross-bar 14, other elements of the construction, as will be noted hereinafter, cooperating to hold the pair of bars in proper spaced relation.

separated at this point.

curved or concave saddle or seat 22,

adapted to engage and elevate or lower the loadq as for exampla'the axle of an automobile, is fixedly mounted on the front end of a two-bar or duplex, bent lever 23, 23 fulcrumed near the rear end of the appliance on a stationary cross-shaft 24 with spacing sleeves or collars 25, 25 interposed on the shaft between the inner faces of the frame bars 11 and 12 and the outersurfaces of the two companion lever-bars 23, 23. l

Near the elbow or bend of the lever 23, 23, it is connected by a pair of links 23, 2G to a. `short extension 427 of a segmental ratchet 28, rockingly mounted at its center or axis on a .fixed cross-shaft 29, midway between the frame side-bars 11 and 12 and in register with the gap. between vthe spaced lever-elements 23, 23, so-that, in the lowered position of the lever and its saddle, the ratchet is accommodated in part in this space of the lever.

The shaft 29 is supported in apertures or bearings in a pair of blocks or plates 31, 31 mounted against the inner surfaces of the frame side-bars 11 and 12 by means of suitable bolts 32, 32.

To maintain the ratchet-segment midway between the frame-bars the shaft 29 is equipped with spacing sleeves or collars 33. 33 between the opposite faces of the part 28 and the inner surfaces of the supporting turning the ratchet-member, the lever audits e may be :raised or lowered es occasion saddl A and, to effect the titl these functions; the following speciiied cooperating instrumentalities have been provided.

A long push bar 34 has a tooth 35 designed to cooperate with the teeth of the rockable ratchet-element, such bar being` held up to its work by a coiled, contractile spring` 36 connected to a lug on its top and to an ear or pin on the cross-bar 14, all as is clearly shown in Figure 2, the bar being guided in its comparatively-slight vertical movements by a pair of guide-tingers, 37 overlapping its opposite side faces. Y l

The back, upwardly-bent end ol' this toothed bar 34 is pivotally connected at 3S to very short, spaced arms 39. 39 of a double, bellc'rank operating-handle, composed ot two, separated members 41, 4l straddling,r the end of the bar 34 and fulcrumed at 42 on a crossshatt mounted in the 4main-trame ot the truck and provided with suitable, spacing` sleeves 43, 43 between the two bars of which the handle 4l is composed and between them and the frame side-bars l1 and l2.

At its upper end, ,this handle 41, 4l is supplied witha rcross handle-piece or rod 44 adapted to be grasped by the operator in the manipulation ot the handle-lever` the latter normally assuming a substantially-upright position, as indicated inrFigure 2, by reason ot an elevating` coil, contractile spring 45 connectedtliereto at 46 and to the mainitrame at 47.

The upward rocking movement ot such operatinghandle which is employed not only to actuate the ratchetfsegment but also to pull the truclaround to different positions on the floor, is limited or restricted by a yoke-abutment 48./fastening in any approved manner, as-by welding, to the frame-members ll and l2.,

will be readily understood, the tooth or doo` 35, reciprocated by reason of the vertical. oscillatory movements ot the handle 41, is provided for the purpose of turning the. ratchet-member in the direction to elevaterl the saddle and its load; but, of course, the structure requires a holding dogor tooth to'maintain the parts in position while the elevatingpawl orl dog' isl being shifted to engage a new tooth of the rotary ratchetinember.

This springfpulled locking' dog 5l is rockingly mounted on another cross-shaft. 52 in the, main-frame, and, similarly supported ongthe same shatt, there is a dog or pawl controllingT member v53 lof the shape depicted in Figure 2, a vcamslot and pin connection 54 being supplied between the bar 34 and the part 53, and another shorter slot and pin connection e5 being used between the element53 and the locking dog or pawl.

As is clearly shown, the member 53 has an offset. apertured section 456i throughv the hole of which a. rod '57 extends, such rod being Leser/e1 pivotally connected at its other end to an 'e 1m 58 fulcrunied at 59 on the traine part l2, the arm having a laterally-extended lznoh or handle (Sl and an extension or toot, G2.

adapted, in the positions ol the parts shown in Figure il, to engage a stop-pin Gil pri jecting from the outer tace ot' the bar l2h thus limiting` the movement@` ot the parti-s 57 and 58 in this direction. their limit ot travelin the opposite direction beine; determined by the engagement ot the rod 5T with the top surtace ot the frame-bar l2.

A coiled, contractile springT (iftconnect the rod at point 65. where an end ot the spring extends through a hole in the rod, to an apertured ear 66 forming,` part of the element 53, whereby the spring; when relaxed permits the cooperating' members to occupy the positions shown in Figure l but being capable ot' extension and pulling' action when the arm 58 is swung down to the left.

To permit the operator to quickly raise the double lerer E23, so that its saddle may initially engage the load, rather than be required to operate the step by step ratchet action, an extension-bar GT, projecting between the parallel elements oit the handle -l-l, is bolted at (58, GS to and between the lever members 23,

By merely depressing` the other or for-- Wardly-protruding end ot this extensionnieinber 67 with the foot, the lever Q3 and its saddle are quickly raised with ease and the ratchet-member is simultaneously turned, the dogs or pawls idly riding over the ratchet-teeth.

rlhe appliance as described operates suhstantially as follows; it beine' noted that the saddle in its lowerniost location occupies a position below the tops ot the adjacent truck carrying-wheels i8, itl, thus permitting` this loadeli'lting element to be introduced beneath a load of only a slight height.

Thereupon, the operator depresses the extension 67 with his toot until the saddle or seat is raised suliiciently to engine-e under the load, and then, with the pawl-controllini; arm 58 in the position shown in Figure l with the sprina' 64 slack, the operator pumpsl or rocks the handle 4l-al4 up and ldown to complete the load-lifting operation.

Then the governing arm o8 is in the position indicated, the spring` (34 is relaxed suiliciently so that it has; no pulling etl'ect on the plate 53, and the holding` doe' or pawl 5l is'free to respond to the action ot its lift-lling` spring' 50.

Every time that the lever-lunnlle is roelicd down, the bar 34 travels' lengthwise and its pawl 35 by engagement with the teeth ol' the ratchet-member turns the latter a predetermined amount corresponding to the distance between two or more tcetln and, as the ratchet-elenient thus rocks, the ratchet-teeth ride under the holding-dog, the latter oscilfill latino `slightly as required and responding to the action of its spring 50, whereby it holds theload elevated when the lifting-dog is retracted during the upward movement ot the handle to engage a new ratchet-tooth,

and thus it will be perceived that a heavy load may be raised a little at u time by merely rocking or pumping the handle lll, and without undue or excessive effort on the part oi the workman.

During such actuation et the co-operate ing instrumentalities, when the push bar 34 travels towards the ratchet-element, its pin of the piirandeslot connection 54 rocks the part 53 downwardly, because the dog 85 is moved in that direction by the ratchet-element itself, but, owing1 to the loose connection with the loclring-pawl 5l, the latter is not rendered inoperative.

lllllhen it is desired to lower the load step by step, the arm 58 is swung to the left, as the parts are viewed in Figure 1, by the operators foot engaging knob 6l until a portion oi' the rod 57' rests on the top of the trame part 12, thus limiting the turning movement oi the element 58.

Then such arm is in the position referred to, the spring 64 is extended or elongated sufficiently to be more powerful than the holding-dog spring 50, and, also, this spring is strong enough to. rock the plate 53 downwardly, and, in doing so, it removes the lifting-dog from engagement with the corre spending ratchet-tooth, Jthe pin of the bar 34: being in the left-hand portion of its slot in the plate llhereform when the handle lll is rocked down, the liiftingalog engages the next tooth and slightly ,liitts the load, whereupon, the holding-dog is automatically disengaged from its tooth, owing to the tact that the spring 63 is stronger than the spring 50 and the holding-dog1 pin is in the upper end of its slot in plate 53,

Then, while the handle 41 is permitted to rise, thus lowering the load, the pin on bar 34 engages the top margin of its slot in the plate 53 and rocks the plate downwardly sutliciently so as to relieve the lockingdog ot the action ot spring G4: and the former, responding to the pull oil its spring 50, engages the ratchet-member and holds the load in the lower position until the litt ing-dog is again operated to lower the load the next step, whereupon the holding-dog repeats the specilied operation.

Those trained in this line of work will readily understand that the several stated and other objects and aims of the invention are accomplished in the new structure illustrated and described, but that the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment thereof and that many minor mechanical changes may be incorporated there in without departure 'from the fundamental principles involved and without the loss ot any ofthe attendant material advantages accruing therefrom.

l claim:

l. ln a truck-jack, the combination ot a truck-frame, carrying-wheels theret'or, a load lifting and lowering lever iulcrumed on said iframe and having an extension beyond the fulcrum on that side ot the latter opposite lthe place where the lever assumes the load, a ratchet-member rockingly mounted on said trame, an operative connection between said ratchet-member and lever, an operating-handle tulcruined on said trame, and means enabling said handle to operate said ratchetmember step by step including pawls coacting with the latter, whereby the operator by means of said. ere tension may quickly roch said lever upwardly to approach the load initially without rocking the handle.

2. ln a truck-jack,v the combination of a truck-frame, carrying-wheels therefor., a recessed load lifting and lowering lever -fulcrumed on said frame, a ratchet-member roelringly mounted on said trame and adapted to extend into said lever recess when the lever is in its lowermost position, an opern ative connection between said ratchet-meinber and lever, and means to actuate said lever step by step including an operating handle and pawls coacting with said ratchety member.

3. In a truck-jack, the combination of a triiiclr-trame, car1yingwheels therefor, a load lifting and lowering` lever itulcrumed on and near one end ot said frame and adapted to engage the load near the opposite end of the frame, a ratchet-member rockingly mounted on said trame near such opposite end, a link connectingsaid ratchet-member and lever, an operating-handle Julcrumed on said irame near that end thereof having said lever 'tulcrum, means whereby said handle may operate said ratchet-member in'- cluding operating and holding pawls, and a pawl-controlling member operable with the worlnnans foot at the handle-equipped end ott the trame.

l. In a truck-jack, the combination oi' a truck-frame, cariyingwheels therefor, a load lifting and lowering lever tulcrumed on said frame and having an extension thereon above said ulcrum and projecting beyond the fulcrum on the side opposite where the lever engages the load, a ratchet-member rockingly mounted on said frame, a link connecting said ratchet-member and lever, a vertically rockable handle fulcrumed on said iframe, means whereby the movements of said handle actuate said ratchet-member and lever step by step including operating and holding pawls cooperating with the former, and means -for controlling the action of said pawls on the ratcbet-member presn sure on said extension by Vthe operator cansing the lever to rrise initially quickly under the load Without resorting to the step by step action of the ratchet-member.

5. In a 'truck-jack, the combination of uy truck-frame, carrying-Wheels therefor, a

lever fuleruined on said truekfrarne near:

" sector roekingly mounted on and near the opposite end of said truck-frame, a linlr hinged directly to Said ratchet-Sector and lever near Said Saddle, means to rock said ratehet-sector including a handle ulcruined on said truck-freine near the fuleruin of said lever and pavvls coasting with said ratcheteector, and means adjacent the handle end of said trnckffranie permitting the operator vto initially rock said lever to cause its Saddle to approach the load without resorting to movement o'f said handle.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GAILARD E. WEAVER. 

